Spec Dinosauria: Dinoceratopsia
HISTORY South America is a continent of many oddities, from the enigmatic mergaraptors to the giant un-sauropods, the pachamacs, but the dinoceratopsians have proven to be some of the Neotropics' most frustrating---and fascinating---creatures. The ancestors of the dinoceratopsians, primitive cenoceratopsians similar to the dawnhorns, crossed from Asia to North America some time during the early Neogene (or possibly as early as the Oligocene), and in the late Miocene and Pliocene, they diversified into a host of huge and bizarre forms. These creatures, however, soon faced the fate of their earlier cousins, the ceratopsids, as North America cooled and the open deciduous forests ceratopsians prefer were replaced with inhospitable grasslands. Hadrosaurs and therizinosaurs spread to take advantage of the new Ice Age habitats, but North American ceratopsians were forced to migrate southward. In some places, the dinoceratopsids held on, and it now seems that a single species has survived in southern Florida (see 'Everglades tuskhorn', below). All other North American dinoceratopsians, however, are long extinct. Dinoceratopsia escaped oblivion, however, as some populations migrated past the dubious havens of Lousiana and Florida. As early as the Pliocene, populations of dinoceratopsians migrated across the Panama Isthmus and established themselves in South America. There were at least two distinct migrations, the early dinoceratopsids (today represented by a single species) and more advanced jugaloceratopsids (including the everglades tuskhorn). The enigmatic 'durocephalids' may represent another migration (possibly earlier than the jugaloceratopsids), or may have evolved in South America. BIOLOGY All dinoceratopsians are united in the possession of extraordinarily long jugal processes, which, in most species, are further extended by horn. Although originally for display, some species now use these jugal tusks as digging or rooting tools. No dinoceratopsian has true nasal or brow horns, although some sport a variety of bosses and scaly crests. Most have small scutes set in the skin which in the "durocephalids" have developed into quills. Dinoceratopsia escaped oblivion, however, as some populations migrated past the dubious havens of Lousiana and Florida. As early as the Pliocene, populations of dinoceratopsians migrated across the Panama Isthmus and established themselves in South America. There were at least two distinct migrations, the early dinoceratopsids (today represented by a single species) and more advanced jugaloceratopsids (including the everglades tuskhorn). The enigmatic 'durocephalids' may represent another migration (possibly earlier than the jugaloceratopsids), or may have evolved in South America. All dinoceratopsians are united in the possession of extraordinarily long jugal processes, which, in most species, are further extended by horn. Although originally for display, some species now use these jugal tusks as digging or rooting tools. No dinoceratopsian has true nasal or brow horns, although some sport a variety of bosses and scaly crests. Most have small scutes set in the skin which in the "durocephalids" have developed into quills. DINOCERATOPSIDAE (Dinoceratops sp.) Surprisingly, it appears that not every single dinoceratopsid has tusks as in the case of Dinoceratops. The sole extant member of its family, the dinoceratops is the most primitive living dinoceratopsian. At least eleven fossil taxa from this family have been described from North and South America, most small-to-medium-sized browsers. In lieu of true horns, the dinoceratopsids sport(ed) bizarre arrays of bumpy protuberances on their heads and frills which are used (in the living species at least) in head-butting contents between rivals. Dinoceratops horridus, ''(species name is most likely a nod to the most famous ceratopsian of all time, Triceratops horridus'') is known from central and southern South America. Additional observations have revealed that is actually a social animal, living in a herd consisting of up to 10-16 members. This bizarre animal is common in the bush and thorny steppe of eastern Brazil but also ranges into open woodland and savannah. The dinoceratops is a specialized low-browser that tackles very coarse, spiny vegetation. ON THE VALIDITY CONCERNING NEWLY DISCOVERED SPECIES OF THE DUROCEPHALIDS AND DATA COLLECTED FROM THE 2003 SPEC EXPEDITION TO THE AMAZON BASIN Ceratopsians (today represented only by cenoceratopsians) are one of the more cryptic herbivore groups of Spec. Rather like the perrisodactyls of Home-Earth, Spec’s cenoceratopsians belong to an ancient and widespread group that has now been reduced to a few scattered remnant populations. Some cenoceratopsian species are well-known and significant members of their ecosystems, but others have so far eluded proper description. The so-called ramskulls or "durocephalids" of Spec’s Amazon are the most infamous examples of this gap in our knowledge. Durocephalids represent at least two species of cryptic dinoceratopsians that dwell in the depths of the Amazon jungle the tuskfrill (Dinoceratopodies amazonensis), ''the till-cheeck (''Austroceratops prodigialis), the well known species, the ramskull (Durocephalus boothi), ''the exinct species, ''Projugalceratops problematicus', '''known from Pleistocene fossil deposits in central and southern Florida and finally, one cryptic species known to reside in the Florida Everglades, the Everglades Tuskhorn (''Parajugaloceratops americensis). Very little is known of these creatures, with only a single decent specimen in a museum collection. The remainder of what we known of these creatures is gleaned from half-chewed skins and eyewitness reports. Durocephalid Research No. 1: The Tuskfrill (Dinoceratopoides amazonesnsis) The frill-tuskers therefore cannot be reliably assigned to a classification more exact than "somewhere in Dinoceratopsia" although the name "Durocephalidae" is often used informally. The first durocephalid sighting took place during the preliminary South American forays of Brian Choo. He writes this brief passage concerning the beast in his journal: "Tuskfrill" sketch (Amazon). Although an official name has not been confirmed, a proposed name has been suggested. Dinoceratopodies amazonensis. An exciting, newly discovered ceratopsian that lives along waterways in dense tropical forest. It is particularly common on the shores of the Pantanal where it uses its remarkable tusk-like frill extensions to root for aquatic plants. Although currently placed in the Dinoceratopsia, a new family may need to be erected to accommodate this as yet undescribed species. An indicator of what may still be left to discover in the poorly sampled Amazon jungle! -Brian Choo Although the picture and description of the “tusk frill” were widely circulated, the species was largely ignored in the literature, listed as a poorly understood member of the South American cenocerotopsian group Dinoceratopsia, and then forgotten. The tusk-frill would probably have faded out of the public consciousness entirely if it were not for the discovery of a very similar creature soon after. Durocephalid Research No. 2: The Till-cheeck (Austroceratops prodigialis) The Brett & Booth South America expedition returned with new till-cheek-like material in the form of a single water-damaged skin and parts of a skull collected from the nest of a jagular. The skull fragments consisted of parts of a hooked, parrot-like beak, a curved jugal horn (a characteristic of some dinoceratopsid species), and the lowslung frill split down the middle. The skin was damaged badly be water, rot, and the jagular, but it indicates an animal perhaps two meters long, with short limbs and a large belly. Most intriguing are a number spines, formed of elongated scutes, which were found attached to the skin near the tail and base of the neck. Close examination of the skin revealed holes where more of these spines had once grown, indicating a porcupine-like coat of quills that extended across the till-cheek's back. (Reconstruction of "till-cheeck", the animal recovered on the Booth Expedition (Amazon). Although an official name has not been confirmed, a proposed name has been suggested. Austroceratops prodigialis. Booth published a reconstruction based upon the skin and skull fragments, showing the armor of quills and the jugal horns, which earned this species its unofficial nick-name. Of course, connections were immediately drawn between the till-cheek and the tusk-frill. Both creatures possessed the medial division of the frill, and the tusks Choo interpreted as extensions of the frill could have very well been the pronounced jugal processes of the till-cheek. These jugal extensions are also very similar to those of the jugaloceratopsians, drawing some intriguing connections between the tiny till-cheek and the massive stormrider. However, since neither the till-cheek nor the tusk-frill is based upon a reliable type specimen, both must be considered dinoceratopsia incertae sedis. ''The only tusk-frill-like species known from any decent material at all was discovered only recently by noted Old-World specbiologist Matti Aumala. Subsequent to the initial discoveries by Choo and Booth, Aumala fielded another expedition to the Amazon, searching for better specimens. He succeeded in capturing a single male sub adult of a species, which he illustrated and briefly described. Durocephalid Research No. 3: The Ramskull (''Durocephalus boothi) Ramskull, Durocephalus boothi ''(Central South America---Amazon) The heavily-built ramskull is the best known durocephalid from the rainforests of Amazon. This tapir-sized animal has strong jaws and jugal horns suitable for digging, coupled with a thick bony skull that may be used for butting contests between males. -''Matti Aumala Durocephalus boothi ''is the only formally described “durocephalid”, the type specimen having been stuffed and in good condition. However, the ramskull is obviously different from the description and sketch of the tusk-frill. The tusk-frill is based upon nothing at all, and the till-cheek is not much better, so while the ramskull and till-cheek are probably distinct, it is impossible to say anything definitive about the tusk-frill. Subsequent to the ramskull’s discovery, several other expeditions were mounted into the South American interior, but none of these excursions managed to gain new information. A fossil recently recovered from Florida’s Pliocene deposits may shed some light on the ramskull and its kin, but the fossil is still awaiting detailed examination. Durocephalid Research No. 4: The Enigmatic Case of ''Projugalceratops problematicus '' The 2.5 million year-old ''Projugalceratops problematicus ''was originally described by Drhoz, but the Australian specbiologist did little other than sketch the cranium and propose possible dinoceratopsian affinities based upon the enlarged jugal processes. At first glance, a ''Projugaloceratops ''seems very much like the ramskull, but the overall shape of the skull is suggestive of a much more primitive group. The skull (which is the only part of the skeleton illustrated) bears a striking resemblance to Cretaceous Asian genus ''Protoceratops, ''and seems rather unlike any South American ceratopsian. Further studies are necessary to determine the exact affinities of this fossil, and for that matter the living species it resembles. Skull of the extinct ''Projugalceratops problematicus ''(Pleistocene) (Florida) The most recent "durocephalid" find, again tantalizing but frustratingly inadequate for real anatomical description, is the 'cryptid ceratopsid' described in passing by Matti Aumala. Durocephalid Research No. 5: Confirmed Existence & Validity of the Cryptic American Durocephalid: The Everglades Tuskhorn (''Parajugaloceratops americensis) Everglade Tuskhorn (Southeastern United States) also once known as the 'cryptid ceratopsid'. It's exitsance was officially confirmed on November 4th, 2016 when multiple individuals were discovered in the Southern Everglades. Scientists have officially gaven it a name, Parajugaloceratops americensis. We all know that dinoceratopsians are supposed to have gone extinct in the North America. It seems, however, that somebody forgot to tell that to one cryptic ceratopid, said to live in Florida and the surrounding areas of Southeastern NA known as the Everglades Tuskhorn now known as Parajugaloceratops americensis. So far, there is only one photograph to prove its existence, and many are still skeptical, claiming that the photograph in question was forged, or that the animal it portrays is from South or Central America instead. Whatever the case, the animal in the photograph is previously unknown to specbiologists. It is clearly a dinoceratopsian, looking somewhat like a crossbreed of a dinoceratops and stormrider, but unfortunately until we find out where this species lives and catch a specimen for study, it will have to remain yet another question mark in the dinoceratopid family tree. Some have hailed Parajugaloceratops americensis as a link between dinoceratopsidae and jugalceratopsidae, and further place it, along with the ramskull, into the family Durocephalidae. It is even possible that the Everglades Tuskhorn is related to (or the same as?) the skull Projugalceratops. ''Whatever the case, however, a single photograph cannot be the basis for classification, and the cryptid ceratopsid is "yet another question mark". -''Matti Aumala JUGALOCERATOPSIDAE (Tuskhorns) These large and flamboyant ceratopsians might be considered to be the spiritual descendants of the great chasmosaurines of the Cretaceous and Eocene. Upon closer inspection, however, one finds that the jugalceratopsids' great horns sprout not from the brow, but from enlarged jugals, or cheek bones. These horns are used by some species to dig for roots and tubers, but are primarily for sexual display, with the males developing great, curved structures rather like elephant tusks. Jugaloceratopsids are the only American ceratopsians with epoccipital bones, and they often have prominent spikes decorating the edge of the frill. Strangely, they have also developed a straightened tail/sacral region akin to their distant brachioceratopsian cousins. There are five known species of tuskhorn, all medium-to-large browsers, filling niches similar the elephants and black rhinos of RL's Africa. Two species, the mountain tuskhorn in the extreme south, and the everglades tuskhorn in the extreme north, have explored smaller-sized lifestyles, but all jugaloceratopsids are savanna or forest-margin browsers. The reopening of such habitats in North America at the close of the Ice Age may indicate an opportunity for ceratopsian recolonization of North America, and it remains to be seen if the new browsing therizinosaurs and hadrosaurs can hold their own again these lumbering titans. Mountain Horn & Imperial Mountain Horn Mountain horns (Cryopelta montanus), also known as Mountain Tuskhorns are the southernmost-dwelling tuskhorns, making their homes atop the many plateaus of the southern Andes in what would be Chile and Patagonia. To insulate itself from the intense cold of these regions the mountain horn has evolved thick pads of fat that cover its legs and sides. These fat supplies are not only for warmth, but serve also as nourishment for the mountain horn as it ventures treks across the icy mountains from one plateau to another. A pig-like rooter, mountain horns, use their jugal tusks to excavate tubers and grass roots from under shallow soil or snow-fall. They are often associated with upclaws, Neotropical therizinosaurs that eat the larger shrubs and herbaceous plants of the mountain slopes. As of recently, the rumors of subspecies existing were confirmed with the discovery of the Imperial Mountain Horn (Cryopelta montanus imperator). At first, it would appear to like the Mountain Horn, however noticeable differences are present such as longer legs a longer tail. K'z'k Second largest of the South American dinosaurs growing up to 7 to 8 meters, and fully as massive as the more lanky pachamacs, the k'z'k tuskhorn (Jugaloceratops kizke) is a truly fearsome animal. Though a plant-eater, k'z'ks are ferociously territorial, and their bellicose temperament extremely poor eyesight makes them liable to charge at any moving object in their vicinity. Biologists on foot, in a jeep, and even (in one case) low-flying aircraft have been pursued and trampled by enranged k'z'ks. All told, the k'z'k tuskhorn is responsible for more human injury and death in Spec's South America than all of that continent's predatory species combined. The k'z'ks' territorial nature, however, is not due to simple blood-lust or bad temper (although many would argue that these factors do play a significant role in k'z'k behavior). K'z'ks are specialist-browsers, feeding upon a specific selection of grasses and shrubs that grow only in in stream-fed groves or forest margins. These plants grow in relative abundance on the pampas, but due to the k'z'ks' large size and weight, the herbivores cannot help but trample their fodder, even as they eat. From the point of view of the pampas plants, therefore, k'z'k tuskhorns are less mere herbivores than a force of nature, with a destructive power comparable to hurricanes or landslides. Many of the pampas plants sport protective poisons or thorns to deter k'z'k attentions (the dominant tree of the pampas, a relative of the locust, sports thorns around its trunk that are half a meter long), the giant herbivores chew through vegetation incredibly quickly. Even a large grove cannot last more than a week under the onslaught of a k'z'k. The k'z'ks' nature therefore forces them to be nomadic and reclusive, as any collection of the giant herbivores would completely destroy their food supply. More noticeable than their bad tempers or rapacious eating-habits (at least from a distance) are a k'z'k's magnificent 'tusks'. Both sexes sport long, curving jugal horns, the largest of any dinoceratopsian (males often a grow tusks of over half a meter in length). Female k'z'ks use their slightly smaller horns for uprooting small trees and clearing paths through brush, but the males' tusks are more decorative in nature. In the mating season, male k'z'ks will butt their tusks against each other and push, demonstrating to watching females their strength and general health. The tusks are sharp, and may be used by either sex against attackers, but in mating battles between males, each k'z'k is careful to avoid injuring either himself or his opponent. During most of the year, k'z'ks will kill any large animal that gets near them, but a k'z'k in love is a gentle beast. Stormrider A second species of is also of the Juglaoceratops sp. is known to exist in the area as well, known as the stromrider (Jugaloceratops robustus). Like their cousins, the dinoceratops, stormriders are low browsers of the forest margin, but these immense animals (which weigh up to a metric ton) have been known to uproot entire trees and always wreak destruction upon the habitats they visit. CONCLUSIONS: In his recent monograph on Dinoceratopsia, Brian Choo classified these enigmatic ceratopsians based upon examinations of the till-cheek and ramskull specimens: "Durocephalids" have well-developed jugal horns and a divided parietal which forms a medial split that extends at least halfway down the frill. The frill does not possess epoccipital bones but may sport enlarged scales on the edge. They also have a covering of thorny scutes, which in the tillcheek have evolved into porcupine-like quills. Contrary to some popular reconstructions, the sacral region is probably curved as in dinoceratopsids rather than straight as in jugaloceratopsids. -''Brian Choo'' This description is adequate---and future species found can be labeled "durocephalid" with fair accuracy, but the relationships of and between these creatures remain murky. Are there, in fact, three species of durocephalid, or two, or only one? Do the durocephalids and jugalceratopsids share a common ancestor? Is Projugalceratops (or Parajugaloceratops) that ancestor, or from some other branch of the ceratopsian tree, entirely? Only time, study, and more specimens will tell. Category:Spec Dinosauria Category:Dinosaurs Category:Animals Category:North America Category:Alternative timelines Category:Alternative evolution Category:South America Category:Alternate History Animals Category:Ornithischia Category:Marginocephalians Category:Ceratopsians Category:Cerapods Category:Neornithischia Category:Genasaurs Category:Herbivores Category:Craniates Category:Amniotes Category:Sauropsids